Low Confidence Level Chart

Transform Your Family and Relationships with NeurOptimal™

Wise Adage: One good relationship is worth a dozen mediocre relationships

Do you feel out of touch with your loved ones? Or, is there one key relationship that you know could use a boost? If so, NeurOptimal neurofeedback can help to transform your relationships and your life!

             

What is NeurOptimal?

NeurOptimal is a brain training and wellness device which can help users to better manage stress, anxiety, anger, and any of the unexpected surprises of life. NeurOptimal™ also promotes healthier sleep habits and can enhance learning capabilities such as the ability to focus. NeurOptimal™ has such a wide range of effects because it is training the whole brain and the whole person each session. What makes NeurOptimal™ unique is the patented Nonlinear-Dynamical-System which responds instantaneously to any brain activity happening during a session. This feedback is so precise that the brain is essentially seeing a mirror of what it is doing and is able to learn from itself unlike never before.

How Can NeurOptimal Transform My Relationships?

Because NeurOptimal™ is a holistic brain training service there are a number of positive outcomes that clients should expect. Below are some of the most significant changes which can help transform your relationship with your family and the whole world.

  1. Patience – Through NeurOptmial™ even the busiest and most restless person can learn to slow down and be more content with the present moment. While patience is good in nearly every situation, it’s especially important in relationships as it makes it easier to slow down and engage with others in what they have to talk about instead of being absorbed or preoccupied with our own thoughts.

    2. Sleep – NeurOptimal™ promotes healthy sleeping habits which help you to fall asleep faster and feel more refreshed in the morning. While we may not think about the importance of our sleeping habits, proper sleep is essential for a happy and healthy lifestyle. Sleep restores and refreshes our body and when we are deprived of sleep a number of wide ranging physical, social, and emotional issues can arise.

3. Confidence – One of the most astounding transformations which NeurOptimal™ produces is improvement in self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. Time after time, clients who are initially shy and reserved come back a few sessions later with more confidence, a brighter demeanor, and are eager for more brain training.

NeurOptimal™ Spring “Relationship” Launch

Family Package – $60 per session with groups of 3 or more (Appointments do not need to be together)

Spring Session Bundles– 5 for $350 or 10 for $650

Individual Sessions- $80 per session

Senior Citizen (Over 55) – $70 per session

To put it simply, when we aren’t stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed in our day to day life it’s much easier for us to connect with other people and to enjoy the present moment at hand. It might be easy to point to one individual as the cause of familial strife or issues, for best results in achieving greater harmony with your family through NeurOptimal™ we recommend having everyone in the family come in for brain training. If you have any additional questions about neurofeedback or would like to schedule an appointment please contact us by e-mail or phone!

Phone #: (863)–899–9977

E-mail: Info@naturallakeland.com

Woman meditating on Beach

Neuroptimal Neurofeedback and Meditation

 

Neuroptimal Neurofeedback founding roots in meditation

 

Founder and lead designer of Neuroptimal’s Neurofeedback system, Val Brown has claimed that his system and company take much inspiration from traditional Buddhist psychology and meditation.  For those unaware, Buddhism and psychology have a lot of overlap and commonalities; in fact, many widely accepted psychological ideas and theories can be seen in traditional buddhist texts. Even simple ideas such as anger and resentment being mentally unhealthy were first outlined by Buddhist principles long before psychology was a field.  The Dalai Lama has also embraced Buddhism’s connection to the science of psychology by holding “Mind and Life” gatherings every two years where prominent scientists and Buddhists from around the world come together for discussions and conferences.

One of the most important parts of Buddhism that has strongly influenced psychology is the idea of mindfulness.  Instead of blindly going through the motions of life, buddhism and psychology encourage us to be acutely aware of our thoughts and actions so that we can confront ourselves and change when necessary.  Just as in mainstream cognitive-behavioral psychology, Buddhism emphasizes positive actions and positive thoughts as the guide to a happy life. While buddhists might practice this enhanced mindfulness in focused meditation, many psychologists use therapy sessions or mindfulness techniques so that their clients can achieve this greater self discovery and self knowledge.

 

Meditation and Neuroptimal Neurofeedback

 

Mindfulness meditation and Neuroptimal neurofeedback are especially intertwined as they are both forms of brain training.  Both meditation and neuroptimal neurofeedback train the client’s brain to have greater concentration and focus as well as control over their mental and emotional states.  Additionally, many of the results that come from meditation such as alleviating anxiety and depression and lessening symptoms of ADHD/ADD can also be seen from Neuroptimal.  While deep levels of meditation can be very difficult for the uninitiated to practice, Neuroptimal makes it much easier for anyone to quiet their busy mind and calmly experience the flow of their thoughts.  Founder of Neuroptimal Val Brown has even referred to his system as being similar to a gong in a meditation dojo for keeping clients focused in the present moment, however, the difference in Neuroptimal is that the “gong” only sounds when the client’s brain is about to make a shift.

Neuroptimal further promotes Buddhist philosophy by believing that the patient and their brain has all the resources they need to achieve a breakthrough. Neuroptimal doesn’t try to change your brain to a predetermined ideal state, but allows the brain to learn from itself where and how to change.  Much like meditation, the goal of neuroptimal is for you to be the master of your own brain and body. Just as practiced meditation has profound effects on a person’s well-being, training through Neuroptimal can help a person stay focused and in control when facing stressful or difficult situations.

 

 

Sources:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00688/full?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Psychology-w42-2013

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705677/

Brain Wave Chart

All About Brainwaves

Before going further into Neurofeedback, it’s important to know exactly what this therapy is trying to change. Neurofeedback’s ability to improve cognitive performance and help treat various psychological disorders is based on a “re-training” of your brain to have more balanced and well regulated brain waves. Brain waves are the result of the electrical activity in your brain that creates your thoughts and operates your body. Neurologists have identified four different types of brain waves with unique properties based on their frequency range. A brief breakdown of the different brain waves can be seen below.

brain waves

As you can see, brain wave activity can be divided into Beta, Alpha, Delta, Theta, and Gamma based on their frequency measured in Hertz.

Beta – 14-30 Hz
Beta waves are the most present brain wave during normal day to day activities. Beta is associated with alertness and focus which allows us to think critically and focus on school or work tasks. An overabundance of beta waves are typically linked to people with high stress or anxiety and low amounts of beta waves are usually seen as a contributing factor to ADHD/ADD and depression.

Alpha – 9-13 Hz
Alpha waves come from a relaxed state of mind, especially after doing a difficult or stressful task that required heavy beta waves. Alpha waves are also important when getting into the deep sleep states of delta and theta thus insomniacs are generally found to have low levels of alpha activity. People who are chronically stressed or anxious also generally have too low alpha waves while those who are seemingly never stressed or take anything seriously have excessive alpha activity making them overly relaxed.
Delta – Below 4 Hz
Delta waves are the slowest type of brain waves and is generated in both deep dreamless sleep and focused meditation. These waves have been shown to be important in the healing process of the body and are one reason why healthy sleep is necessary for healing or recovery. Excessive or irregular delta waves, especially while awake, are usually telling of either Traumatic Brain Injury or a learning disability.

Theta – 4-8 Hz

Theta waves are the link between alpha and delta and are mainly found in daydreaming or sleep, but can also be achieved through deep meditation or relaxation techniques. Theta waves are associated with unconscious memories and emotions which often arise in dreams. Theta waves have also been shown to help spark people’s creativity and imagination. While theta waves are very beneficial for the body, too much theta activity can lead to ADHD and depression while too little theta activity can cause anxiety, stress, and poor emotional responses.
Gamma – 30 Hz and above
Gamma waves are the fastest known brain waves in our body and are mainly involved in higher order cognitive functions and information processing including sensory information. While they are not as common or well studied as other brain waves, they are believed to be an important part of learning and low gamma wave activity is often seen in people with ADHD or learning disabilities.

Brainwave Regulation
Now that you have an idea of what the different brain waves are and how they affect the way you think, I hope you can see the importance of having a well regulated and balanced brain. While these different brain waves and states can’t be immediately shifted, there are many ways a person can learn to regulate their brain activity for optimal performance. When you drink a coffee, your helping your brain boost its level of beta waves for increased focus and productivity; on the other hand, relaxation or meditation techniques can lower beta activity and raise alpha causing a more relaxed alpha state. While nearly all illicit or prescription drugs have effects that help enhance or inhibit certain types of brain activity, healthy brain regulation can be achieved naturally through neurofeedback training.

More often than not, medication such as anti-depressants or stimulants are prescribed to fix brain imbalances. While medication can improve functioning and brain balance, they also come with side effects and drawbacks such as dependence and tolerance. Instead of using prescription drugs to fix imbalances in brain wave activity, neurofeedback therapy relies on proven QEEG technology to train the brain to better regulate itself. By using audio and visual cues neurofeedback training programs inform your brain when deviant or abnormal activity arises allowing your brain to make proper adjustments. While much of the “learning” process is unconscious, neurofeedback trains your brain to stay in states of optimal functioning and avoid the imbalance errors it would previously make.

Neurofeedback Changing Brain Waves
In addition to the many studies done showing subjective improvement of patients symptoms after neurofeedback training, a number of studies have demonstrated neurofeedback’s objective ability to significantly change underlying brain wave activity. One such study measured their participants brain activity before and after 6 sessions of neurofeedback training in comparison to a control group and showed a significant change in brain wave activity in the neurofeedback group. The graph below demonstrates the significant changes in brain wave activity that neurofeedback training caused in comparison to a normal non-trained group as based on a study done in 2016. (Oh, Hyun-Ju, Song, Gui-Bin 2016.)

changes in brain wave activity

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Natural Neurofeedback

Welcome to Natural Neurofeedback

Natural Neurofeedback is a blog dedicated to the emerging practice of  EEG (Electroencephalogram) neurofeedback therapy. Neurofeedback therapy is a relaxing and universally beneficial type of brain training that can both improve overall mental functioning and peak performance, as well as be used to treat a number of different psychological disorders and dysfunctions.

While not yet a widespread or common practice, neurofeedback has already shown to produce strong results in a variety of different settings through a wide number of different studies which I look forward to sharing on this site.  But before I delve into the research and studies surrounding neurofeedback, I’d like to give a general introduction to how the process works.

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is a relatively new type of therapy that uses real time brain scans to help better regulate the brain and improve its functioning.  A healthy brain is based on well regulated and balanced levels of different brain waves such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Theta. By using simple non-invasive sensors, a clinician is able to see your live brain activity including these various types of brain waves.  Many psychological disorders and dysfunctions can be traced to an imbalance in brain waves thus regulating these brain waves serves to treat the disorder or at least improve the symptoms. If your brain isn’t functioning at an optimal level, you may experience fatigue, insomnia, disinterest, brain fog or difficulty concentrating.

Although some forms of neurofeedback will put the clinician in control of guiding brain wave activity in different parts of the brain, Natural Neurofeedback believes the body is best able to assess and fix itself.  Our neurofeedback system Neuroptimal presents your brain with the information it needs to correct itself. Our Neuroptimal system reads your brain activity while calming visuals and audio are played. Whenever the client’s brain activity becomes unstable or undesired, a brief skip in the audio tells the brain to change its functioning for better efficiency.  This simple form of feedback allows the brain to learn how to control and improve its regulation of different brain waves. Essentially, the brain is able to see a reflection of itself as in a mirror and uses that information to fine tune its functions just as someone looking at themselves in a mirror is able to greater control their own facial expressions.

While this process may seem difficult or complex, the best part is that your brain does all the hard work for you.  By merely being alert and engaged during sessions which lasts between 40 minutes and an hour your brain will unconsciously recognize it’s deficits and train itself to fix them.  Client’s can expect to see significant and lasting difference after ten sessions. Usually treatments are once or twice a week. While nearly anyone can benefit from the increased mental sharpness and focus that comes from neurofeedback, this therapy is especially effective in treating a number of different disorders such as ADHD/ADD, Anxiety, Alzheimer’s, and Depression, Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Seizures, Stroke and more.  Most importantly, neurofeedback is virtually risk free with no side effects and no chance of conflicting with any current medication or treatment plan.

Check back next week for more detailed information on some on how neurofeedback works and it’s many benefits.

Written By David Butler

Lakeland, FL